Author Topic: Flatlanders get no respect  (Read 5464 times)

Offline Timmer74

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Flatlanders get no respect
« on: March 28, 2020, 05:19:49 AM »
OK, I might come off sounding like an old man ranting about kids being on his lawn in this post.... But, I find it amazing at how little respect I get when I ride. I ride at an abandoned school that has a great big blacktop and a huge field where sports are held and/or people run their dogs. It's more or less the only spot near me that is rideable. And, honestly, it's really a pretty great spot (when it's not raining...).

On this huge blacktop (probably a couple acres big) I ride in an area off to one side that is maybe 25x25. Not very big, nor that close to the play structure and all that. However, at least 90% of my rides I deal with people walking through where I ride without any thought of what they're doing and/or how hurt they or I would get if I don't stop mid trick. I literally have to bail off of my bike to not hit them. They never 'oh, sorry, excuse me'..I mean...never. I bite my tongue every time because I don't want to have somebody report me or something and then get me kicked out of my spot. They could literally walk 5 feet to one side and walk around where I ride on the grass to walk around me. But, no... most do not. I always want to ask them where they do yoga or something so that i can show up and straddle them while they do some pose without saying a word. Or, to go over and literally stop in the middle of the key while they play basketball and talk on my phone without a word to them. You can imagine how that would go over...

Kids are kids... I get that (I'm a Dad of two boys  myself). I try to keep a pretty good eye out for them. Typically, it's not an issue since the school is no longer open. Though, these days, all day is like recess is out with everybody at home. What I find amazing is how the kid has a parent(s) nearby that never says 'oh hey, why not give the old crazy guy spinning on his bike a little bit of room...ok sweetie?'. They usually stand there and glare at me like I'm trying to hurt their kid(s) on purpose. Fortunately, I've never actually collided with a kid. But, it's been a close call quite a few times.... The other day a Mom and Dad brought their daughter to school to practice learning how to walk on stilts. Cool, right?! However, they chose to do this 10 feet away from me. The field is acres and acres of grass... 10 feet away from me.

I've been bitten by dogs more than once. Not once has the owner apologized to me. Usually it's some little yappy dog that nips at my pant leg. I did have one dog break the skin a couple months ago... It  ran off after and the owner walked away. That time I almost lost my sh*t, but, refrained. My backpack/gear has been peed on by almost every dog there it seems. only one time did the owner 'OH MY GAWD I'm SO SORRY!'.... at this point I just laugh when somebody's dog is smelling my backpack. I just tell them they're just stopping to smell every other dogs pee on my bag. And, of course, there's that one dog owner that thinks it's hilarious to 'hey can my dog pee on your bag today?' every time she walks by (through where I ride that is...).

I get that I could also move my spot to another small area. I've done this many times. However, I have found that flatland is basically a magnet it seems. I move, they follow... usually the kids. Now, I just try to stay in 'my' spot so that people aren't trying to guess where I'll be.

Not every session is extremely frustrating when dealing with the 'public'. It's usually just a single incident or two where somebody walks directly through where I ride while I'm spinning or something and I have to bail off. Somedays though I have to leave and give up because it's dangerous and maddening to even try.

Like I said, I probably come off as an angry old guy wanting everybody off his lawn. But, I'm mostly curious if any of you all deal with the same thing? Why the no respect thing? I'm a pretty big guy...6', gym rat, and 46 years old. you'd think that some might not want to poke the angry old dog trying to learn new tricks!

I guess I just needed to vent :). If you made it this far, thanks for reading!


Offline aliasdck

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2020, 08:39:12 AM »
I think most of us flatlanders can relate to what you're saying though I think you take the cake especially with the dogs peeing on your bag and biting you. I mean wtf. People are often rude, inconsiderate, etc and the fact that they don't often really understand what we are doing or why we are doing it doesn't help.

Ever notice how when your riding in a gigantic empty parking lot and a car drives through that they always drive right through where you are riding? Even though it's an enormous parking lot and they could easily avoid you?

Offline FlatismŽ

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2020, 09:09:32 AM »

I get that I could also move my spot to another small area. I've done this many times. However, I have found that flatland is basically a magnet it seems. I move, they follow... usually the kids. Now, I just try to stay in 'my' spot so that people aren't trying to guess where I'll be.





hehe.
Your not wrong about 'flatland' like a magnet!
Only I find it with skaters too. Me being mindful, I'll bust out some tricks etc, in my own cosy corner away from their lines/ ramps etc. Then somethin changes, n before you know it they're whizzin through with no regard, n  doing flatground moves while im mid trick while the rest of the park is completely empty!!


Again i'll resort to riding some quiet spot ,and the similar will happen again when general public will literally 'lock on target ' with you despite their being ample space to go around etc.
I'm not over-thinking this. It's  just a weird phenomon...maybe like a marking of territory.. >:D 
 
Flat-ism

Offline khe killah

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2020, 01:31:07 PM »
Think its just inconsiderate people in general, i have the same issue.

People always want to be where i am.

The worst is when im at a spot and they tell me there is a skate ramp park down the road... Oh f*ck off...

 

Offline metalbmxer

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2020, 01:37:04 PM »
good read I quite enjoyed that Timmer. Yeah this seems to happen from time to time at public spots. Usually if I can read that someone is walking through what seems to be intentionally sometimes, a good grunt mid-trick will alert them that you are really focusing on the move you are in essentially communicating that you aren't simply playing around but really intently working on something. For the most part since I ride at a train plaza here in NYC I have a pretty good intuition of where the people are going from a mile away and can plan what I am doing around that information. It makes a triangle that I ride in the middle of. Some are going to grocery store, others the bus and others the metro north train so I can usually stay in the middle of it and be pretty good. Props to you for pushing/progressing at age 46. I'm 34 now and just try to take it 1 day at a time. NYC is quite a challenging place to ride and find a spot depending on where you live
Dax (now in LAS VEGAS as of July 2022)

Offline rideflat43

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2020, 03:53:41 PM »
It is the times also..with this virus and people are downright mean these days and I see it everyday
when I work at the Nob Hill store and lucky for me..less people are out here and do not walk into me
or get in my way.Most look at us as people on little bikes doing tricks as annoying ways to yell at us
or get in our ways.I just start coughing and pretend wiping my nose ..as they look at me and they
stay away from me..lol

f*ck em!

Offline FlatismŽ

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2020, 06:13:25 PM »
.I just start coughing and pretend wiping my nose ..as they look at me and they
stay away from me..lol

f*ck em!

Ha!
I'll try that one next time ;)
Flat-ism

Offline nosubsteve

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2020, 07:06:31 PM »
I learned this trick many years ago, and it's always worked for me since:

Do Not Stop.

Kids at a skatepark don't learn anything if you're constantly stopping and waiting for them. They just don't. The logic that would usually dictate they should move or be in a different place doesn't exist, and the same goes for adults, who've never experienced freestyle BMX in any capacity.

It doesn't matter how much you tut, or pull an angry face when you're courteous enough to get out of THEIR way, you've already made the assumption that they come first. This is not the case. They are in YOUR way, and they will learn to move out of it.

I'm not saying deliberately plough into people, but put yourself first; it works very well for me. If they do something stupid, then a loud 'HEY WATCH OUT' will do the job, and that will send the shock they need to re-evaluate their position in the same way a rider on an obvious path towards them *should* do.

It may be worth mentioning that where I come from, dogs who bite people get put down. Dogs peeing on your bag is just f*cking funny though :P   

Offline FlatismŽ

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2020, 01:05:11 PM »
Wide words marn.
So basically one has to assert their ground.
Flat-ism

Offline nosubsteve

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2020, 02:06:10 PM »
Should be mentioned it doesn't work when you get meathead scooter dads taking their clueless spawn to the skatepark, for them it's usually best to just wait until the kid gets hurt on their own, only takes about 5 mins  ::)

Offline FlatismŽ

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2020, 08:07:59 PM »
I know exactly what's with that, so I don't even entertain the Scooter thing outright.

When i do go, earlys or random mid-week seshys, down at my local, it's only the whizz plankers that should know better than to get in my way  >:D :D
Flat-ism

Offline rideflat43

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #11 on: March 29, 2020, 08:16:41 PM »

I never go to the skatepark anymore..too many scooter kids and them just
standing in the way or they are riding super slow because they are scared
of a pool wall  or ledge to drop in.I use to drop in and aim for the scooter
kids and pretend knocking them down was an accident...but they cut right
in front of me  or stop in front of me and I do not even make the effortd to
stop.


Sounds mean but I am there to ride some park and I do not do that too often,
but yeah scooter kids and others just frustrate the hell out of me..so it is like
bmx football sometimes..as bad as that sounds as they learn to fear me and
get out of my way.


We use to have these damn road bikers go in circles around THE SPOT IN
DANVILLE,it got so bad that we just started to ride into them or in their way
so they had to slow down a lot.It became a game of sorts and they always left
and finally never came back.We also had the student self drivers with their
parents..we did the same thing and it became a war for a time.Ross Smith had
thrown his bike at one of those cars...lol and it was funny as hell and they of
course called the cops on us,but we were gone by then!

Offline rideflat43

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #12 on: March 29, 2020, 08:17:57 PM »

Screw the scooter kids...and the rest of those idiots
yeah we have had our share of the fights and wars going
on in the parking lot and skateparks!

Offline DaddyCool

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #13 on: March 29, 2020, 11:59:11 PM »
Hi Timmer74,
sorry to hear that. I mean almost all of us know such thing, but your experience is really bad. I am lucky enough to have a (not really good) outside spot where at least hardly any pedestrians come by. But even the car drivers that seem to find it plausible to park the car in the middle of the (small) spot to disturb me as much as they possibly could are really annoying.
I really think about realising a spot in my garden because after many years of riding I want to focus on the riding and not such sh*t because I do not have time for this. But the spot in the garden might be too expensive. I am jealous of Nick Watts for example  ::)

Offline aliasdck

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Re: Flatlanders get no respect
« Reply #14 on: March 30, 2020, 12:29:35 AM »
Me too, I see some people have beautiful flatland areas in their backyard. Hard not to be jealous. I'd really like an air conditioned warehouse big enough that i could have different sections. Like one area paved with asphalt, one smooth concrete, one plywood, etc